Synchronizing clutch



Oct. 13, 1959 w. E. ALTMANN 2,908,366

SYNCHRONIZING CLUTCH Filed Jan. 23, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORWERNER E. Al. I'M/1 NN ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 13, 1959 w. E. ALTMANN SYNCHRONIZING CLUTCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJan. 25, 1956 R m 8 N a v 2 N 41% m r L A 2 av E H m M W g 7 a BY M MATTORNEYS 2,908,366 Patented Oct. 13, 1959 SYNCHRONIZIN G CLUTCH WernerE. Altmann, Stuttgart, Germany, assignor to Daimler-BenzAktiengesellschaft, Stuttgart-Unterturkheim, Germany Application January23, 1956, Serial No. 560,601 Claims priority, application GermanyFebruary 2, 1955 8 Claims. (Cl. 192'53) The present invention relates toa new and improved jaw clutch for automobiles and similar vehicles andto means to facilitate the engagement of the members of such a clutch.More particularly, the invention relates to a synchronizing mechanism ofthe type in which a synchronizing and locking element is interposedbetween the two clutch members and connected with one of them so as tobe rotatable therewith to a limited extent. Such synchronizing elementis adapted to be engaged with the other clutch member by friction, andit permits both clutch members to be engaged only in one particularrotary position of such element relative to the clutch member of limitedrotatability.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a clutch of the typeas described in which the synchronizing mechanism includes a pair ofcoaxial ring-shaped members and jaw members which are disposedintermediate the two rings in a manner similar to spokes.

Another object of the invention is to make the pinshaped jaws and thetwo ring-shaped members integral with each other and preferably of asingle piece of material.

The present invention affords considerable advantages over clutches of asimilar type as previously proposed,

in that the pin-shaped jaws, as seen in a radial direction,

are secured at both sides by a ring-shaped member, and the entireslidable clutch member will thus form a single and very solid unit whichmay be securely connected to the associated shaft solely by splines orsimilar means which are provided on the inner ring.

Also as seen from the standpoint of its manufacture, the new clutchdesign has a considerable advantage over those previously proposed.Whereas pin-shaped jaws as previously suggested could not be made of onepiece of material and had to be made separately and then had to beinserted in the ring-shaped member, the present invention permits suchjaws to be easily made as an integral part of the rings, thus resultingin a very rigid structure.

It is another object of the invention to make the slidable clutch memberas narrow as possible so as to reduce the axial length of thesynchronizing mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide the slidable clutchmember in the form of two symmetrical rings or disks which are smallenough so as to be easily punched out. Also, it is then possible toshape and fit the pinshaped jaws more accurately, and to insert betweenthe two disks a spring ring which may be used to transmit the axialmovement of the slidable clutch member to the locking and synchronizingelement.

Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention willappear from the following detailed description thereof, as well as fromthe accompanying drawings,

. in which- Fig. 1 shoWs a longitudinal section through a clutch and asynchronizing mechanism according to the invention; 4

Fig. 1a shows a specific detail of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 2 shows a cross section through the gear which is mounted on thedriven shaft;

Fig. 3 shows a cross section through the locking and synchronizingelement;

Fig. 4 shows a front view of the adjustable jaw clutch member; whileFig. 4a shows a cross section through one jaw element of the adjustableclutch member, as taken along line IVaIVa of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows the drive shaft 10 of thenewclutch with a gear 11 rigidly mounted thereon which terminates at itsforward end in a clutch member 12. The driven shaft 13 is rotatablymounted by means of a needle bearing 14 within a socket-like recess inthe end of drive shaft 10, and carries an intermediate member 15 whichis rigidly mounted thereon for supporting a plate-like axially slidableclutch member 18. Shaft 13 also carries a gear 16 which is rotatably butnonslidably mounted thereon and carries integrally therewith a secondclutch member 17 which is adapted to be engaged with clutch member 18.Gears 11 and 16 are in engagement with the gears of a gear system asusually provided in automobiles which are therefore not specificallyillustrated in the drawings.

The intermediate supporting member 15 carries the slidable clutch member18, as shown particularly in Fig. 4. It consists of two symmetrical flatrings 19 and 20 which are held together by a bifurcated member 21, andare shifted along a stationary rod 22 which is mounted in the gearhousing. More specifically, clutch member 18 consists of two rings 23and 24 between which pin-shaped jaw elements 25 are provided which arepointed at both sides in axial direction, as shown in Fig. 4a in orderto engage with coiresponding jaw elements. Ring 23 is provided withsplines 26 by means of which clutch member 18 is slidably butnon-rotatably connected with supporting member 15.

For synchronizing the rotation of clutch members 12 and 17 and gears 11and 16, respectively, the present invention provides a synchronizing andlocking member which consists of two symmetrical rings 27 and 28 whichare secured to each other, for example, by rivets 29, as shown in Fig.3. Rings 27 and 28 are provided with conical inner peripheral surfaces30 which are inclined in opposite directions and adapted to engage byfriction with corresponding conical surfaces 31 on clutch members 12 and17 respectively. By providing a series of slots 32 in the portion of theconnected rings 27 and 28 which axially faces toward the centraltransverse plane of symmetry, a series of axially projecting jaw-liketeeth 33 are formed. The projecting ends of teeth 33 are first outwardlyconvergently inclined at both sides at 34 and then again continue in anaxial direction at 35. The blunt ends of tooth portions 35 of rings 27and 28 abut against each other and are secured together in such aposition by rivets 29. When assembled, the pin-shaped jaws 25 of theslidable clutch member 18 extend through the recesses which are formedin the synchronizing and locking member 27, 28 by teeth 33. Jaws 25 havea width a, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4a, which is substantially equal tothat of slots 32 so as to fit slidably into these slots.

The synchronizing and locking member 27, 28 is connected with theslidable clutch member 18 by means of a spring ring 36, as shownparticularly in Fig. 1a, which rests in a groove 37 at the line ofseparation between rings 27 and 28 and exerts its spring action in aninward direction but is capable of moving outwardly into an annulargroove 38 between rings 19 and 20 of the slidable clutch member 18.

The pinshaped jaws 25 of the slidable clutch member 18, as seen in aradial direction, are of a length so as to extend not only between teeth33 of the synchronizing and lockingmember 27, 28', but also between thetoothlike jaws 39 of clutch members 12 and 17, respectively.

The operation of the new synchronizing mechanism is asfollows:

Fig. 1. illustrates the jaw clutch in its'central neutral ordisengaged'position with'the slidable'clutch member 18 being disposedwithin the central transverse plane of symmetry'of the clutch; In such aposition, the synchronizing and locking member 27, 28 isfreely'rotatable without'frictio'n relative to"the nonslidable clutchmembers 12 and 17, and the'inner or central parts 35 of its teeth 33freely engage within the clearances between the pins'ha'ped jaws '25 ofthe slidable clutch member 18 and limitthe rotation of the lockingmember relative to the clutch member'18.

For coupling the'driven shaft 13 with the drive shaft 10, the bifurcatedmember 21 is shifted toward the left on rod 22, thereby also shiftingclutch member 18 toward the left. The immediate result of such shiftingmovement is that spring ring 36 will shift the synchronizin'g andlocking member 27, 28 so that conical surface 30'thereof will engagewith the corresponding surface 31 of clutch member 12 and thus produce africtional connection of member 27, 28 with driving shaft 10. The latterwill'therefore take along and rotate member 27, 28 until'the pinshap'edjaws 25 abut against tooth portions 35. If clutch member 18 is thenfurther shifted toward the left, the inclined surfaces of jaws 25 willengage with'theinclined surfaces 34 of teeth 33. Since a large torsionalmoment will now be transmitted between the slidable clutch member 18 andthe synchronizing and locking member 27, 28, therewill be no furtheraxial sliding movement of jaws 28 until members 18 and 27, 28, and thusshafts and 13, will run in synchronism. Clutch member 18 may then befurther shifted in axial direction so as to effect the small relativerotation between clutch member 18 and member 27, 28 whereby jaws 25 willslide into slots 32. Since at the same time jaws 25 will enter betweenteeth or jaw elements 39 of clutch member 12, shafts 10 and 13 will thenalso be in positive engagement with each other.

Although my invention has been illustrated and de scribed with referenceto the preferred embodiments thereof, I wish to have it understood thatit is in no Way limited to the details of such embodiments, but is'capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus 'fully disclosed my invention, what I claim l. A jaw clutchcomprising, in combination, a pair of coaxial rotatable clutch membersfor engaging the gears of'a variable gear transmission, one of saidclutch members being axially slidable, synchronizing means forsynchronizing the rotation of said clutch members comprising saidaxially slidable member which includes a pair of coaxial ring-shapedmembers, a plurality of radially directed pin-shaped jaw elementsconnected to and disposed intermediate said ring-shaped members in aspoke-like formation, a locking member including means connected withthe axially slidable clutch member so as only to permit a limitedrotarymovement of said locking member relative to said axially slidablemember, and means on said locking member for frictionally engaging saidlocking member with the other clutch member and for blocking engagementof said clutch members during relative rotation thereof and permittingthe engagement of said jaw elements with the other clutch member only ata certain rotary position of said locking member relative to saidaxially slidable member, said slidable member comprising a pair ofannular disks, each of 'said disks containing one-half of each of saidpin-shaped jaw elements, and a bifurcated member partly embracing saidtwo disks for holding them together, and means for shifting saidbifurcated member in a direction parallel to the axis of said clutchmembers for thus shifting said disks.

2. A jaw clutch'as defined in claim 1, further comprising a spring ringconnected intermediate said slidable member and said locking member fortransmitting the axial movement of said slidable clutch member to saidlocking member.

3. A jaw clutch comprising, in combination, a pair of coaxial rotatableclutch members having mutually engageable jaw elements, one of saidmembers being axially slidable and including a pair of radially spacedconcentric rings, the jaw elements of said one member being a pluralityof radial pin-shaped elements connecting said rings in aspoke-likeformation, means for synchronizing rotation of said clutch memberscomprising a locking member including means inter-engaged with saidradial elements for rotation therewith and having limited rotation withrespect thereto, said pin-shaped elements having means thereoncooperating with said last-mentioned means and for facilitatingengagement thereof with the jaw elements of the other clutch member,means on said locking member for frictionally engaging the otherclutch'memb'er, said locking member having means engageable withsaid'radial elements of said one clutch member and' defining limits forrotation of said locking member relative thereto, said last-mentionedmeans permittin'g engagement of the jaw elements of said clutch membersonly at a certain rotary position of said locking member relative saidone clutch member and preventing said engagement when said clutchmembers are not synchronized.

4. A jaw clutch as defined in claim 3, wherein said axially slidableclutch member is a flat plate-like structure having a plurality ofopenings defined by said rings and said radial elements.

5. A jaw clutch as defined in claim 4, further comprising a thirdrotatable clutch member coaxial with said pair of members, said thirdmember having jaw elements engageable' with the jaw elements of saidaxially slidable member, said locking member having further means forfrictionally engaging said third clutch member, said locking memberpreventing engagement of the jaw elements of said slidable member andsaid third clutch member except'when they are synchronized, and meansfor selectively moving said slidable clutch member and said lockingmember into engagement'with one or the other of said other clutch memberand said third clutch member.

6. A jaw clutch comprising, in' combination, a pair of coaxial rotatableclutch members having mutually engageable jaw elements, synchronizingmeans for synchronizing the rotation ofsaid clutch members comprising anaxially slidable member including radially spaced concentric ringmembers, a plurality of radial pin-shaped jaw elements connected to anddisposed intermediate said ring members in a spoke-like formation, alocking member having means engageable with said jaw elements connectedwith said axially slidable member and'being rotatable therewith andhaving" limited rotary movement relative thereto, means on said lockingmember for'frictionally engaging the locking member with one of saidclutch members and for blocking engagement of said clutch members duringrelative rotation thereof and permitting engagement of said jaw elementsonly at a certain rotary position of said locking member relative tosaid axially slidable member, said slidable member comprising a pair ofdiscs, each of said discs containing onehalf of each of said radialpin-shaped jaw elements.

7. A jaw clutch as defined in claim 6; wherein said locking membercomprises two ring-like members having teeth projecting intermediatesaid radial jaw elements and cooperating therewith to providesynchronization of said rotatable clutch member's. I

8. A jaw clutch comprising, in combination, first and secondcoaxially-rotatable' mutually-engageable clutch members each having aplurality of jaw elements, means for supporting said clutch members forrelative axial movement between engaged and disengaged positions,synchronizing means including a locking member supported for rotationwith, and for limited rotation with respect to, the first clutch member,the second clutch member having axially projecting jaws, the firstclutch member being generally a fiat disk-like structure having its jawsextending radially to provide at a first distance from its axis firstportions of its jaws engageable with the axially projecting jaws of theother clutch member and second portions of the same jaws at anotherradial distance from said axis for engagement with said locksing member,said locking member including surfaces e11- gageable with said secondjaw portions to define the limits of rotation of said locking memberrelative to said first clutch member when the clutch members aredisengaged and to prevent engagement of the clutch mem- References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,131,199 Tenney Sept.27, 1938 2,256,308 Bixby et a1. Sept. 16, 1941 2,392,520 Benz et al.Jan. 8, 1946

